You Did Good
by RoseWeasly16
Summary: Who are Rose and Roger McIntyre? Brother and sister who's story you thought you already knew, maybe there is more then what meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

"Rog where you goin'?" Rosie asked as her brother quickly dashed out from the apartment. He didn't bother to answer her, he must have been in too much of a hurry she figured. She walked over to the window and looked down at the street below. There was a group of tough looking boys passing around a basketball, they greeted her brother when he walked out of the apartment, she should have known.

"Hey Action!" One of the boys passed the ball in Roger's direction.

"Action?" she muttered to herself, she just shook her head and went back inside of the apartment, for all she knew that might have been an age old nickname she just had never heard it before. They did all live in the same neighborhood, all growing up together with Rosie watching on the sidelines. She felt lonely, growing up Roger had been both her best friend and protector, now she had no one. Of course he teased her because she was not friends with any of the neighborhood girls but Rosie knew it was because he didn't understand. Every time she tried to make friends she was instantly rejected or eventually thrown out of whatever social circle she was in. She took off her cardigan and threw it on the floor looking at her outfit in disgust. It had come from the clothes her cousin Alice had given her, Rosie always complained that Alice dressed like a nun but her mother would not listen. Instead Rosie suffered the humiliation of ugly hand me down clothes, one of many reasons why the neighborhood girls disliked her.

Rosie listened as the boys bounced the ball and ran off to some unknown destination in the distance, she leaned against the wall and sighed. Not only did Roger have friends he was so much more independence than she did, "all cos' he's a boy…" She grumbled. She ran a hand through her long brown hair, what was there for her to do all alone in this apartment? She quietly walked towards the fire escape and sat outside watching the sunset, waiting for her mother to come home.

An exhausted June McIntyre returned from her job as a waitress at a restaurant closer to the heart of Manhattan. She looked at the discarded cardigan that lay on the floor and picked it up, "Rose? Rosie?" she called into the apartment.

Rosie heard her mother calling her and came in from the fire escape, "what are you doing out there?" her mother asked. Rosie shrugged her shoulders and dusted off her black pleated skirt, "where's Roger?" her mother asked looking around the apartment for her son.

"Not here," Rosie frowned, "he's with 'is friends," she added with disdain as she sat herself in a chair at the table.

June sighed, she hated the fact that her daughter didn't have friends, Rosie was more like a boy then a girl and June blamed herself for letting Roger have so much influence on her. She put her arm on her daughter's shoulder, "come on I've got your favorite tonight, would you like to help me?"

Rosie couldn't resist the smile that formed on her lips, she really did love her mother and brother but couldn't stand the life that she lived. No one could change how she felt about that, this was the only time Rosie ever felt hopeless.  
That night June had gone to bed early and Rosie had fallen asleep on the couch listening to the radio, on the street below Roger finally returned for the night. He walked up the stairs and entered the apartment, was about to see what was in the fridge for him to eat when he saw his little sister on the couch. Shaking his head he pulled the orange band of fabric from off his head and put it in his pocket. Quietly he walked over to the mouth eaten couch were Rosie was sleeping, gently he touched her shoulder and woke with a start.

"Wha' is it?" She asked tired thinking it was her mother, Roger laughed softly, " it's only me!"

"Roger?" she pushed her hair back behind her ear, "When didja get back?

He shrugged, "I dunno… I guess a coupla' minutes ago?"

"Oh…" Rosie was still slightly dazed from her nap.

"So would you rather sleep here? Or in your room?" Roger took on a role that he hadn't had in many years, being a sort of father to his younger sister.

Rosie had not even realized she had been sleeping on the couch, "I think my room…" She got up from the couch and went to her room.

Roger shook his head, he couldn't help but feel some pity for Rosie, so alone and now with him in the Jets? Of course Rosie could never know about that.

"Pow! Pow!" Rosie could hear these noises coming from her brother's room as she lay in bed, "what the hell is he doing?" she muttered herself. She couldn't be bothered to think about Roger was up to because soon after she fell asleep.

"Ma' I'm goin' out!" Roger called, as he walked out of the apartment for another night with his friends, Rosie was getting tired of him always going out to play basketball. At least that's what she assumed he was doing since every time he went with the guys one always had a ball.

"Mom can I go out just for a bit?" Rosie pleaded, she was going to see exactly what Roger was really up to.

June thought about her daughter's request for a moment, "I suppose… Just don't stay out too late…" Rosie smiled as she headed out the door. "And be safe!" Her mother called, Rosie could barely hear her as she went flying down the stairs down to street level. She looked both directions and finally spotted the boys. She followed them from a distance being careful to not being seen.

It was not long before they reached a deserted black top and started to play ball, Rosie groaned, "that's all Rog does? Play ball?" She watched them for awhile and was soon able to put some names to a few of the boys. There was Tony, Riff, and A-rab to name a few that she had picked up, but she had also learned the name they had given their team. They seemed to call themselves the "Jets", this sounded cool and tough to Rosie who really knew very little about sports.

"Hey Diesel watch it!" the once called Riff yelled as the ball bounced right past a burly looking boy. It started heading in her direction, quickly she pushed herself up against the wall so she would not be seen. The one they called Snowboy came to retrieve the ball and once he did he bounced it for a bit and then looked straight at her. "Well, well, well, look what we have here! A little admirer!" He laughed, "Hey fellas check this out!"

Rosie did not even try to hide anymore, what was the point? They all knew she was here anyway. "Snowboy watcha' talkin' 'bout?" Riff asked as he and the rest of the boys walked over towards her. Roger looked at her open mouthed, "Rosie? Watcha' doin' 'ere?" He exclaimed. She didn't know what she could possibly say to him, now she felt ashamed for even following him in the first place.

"She your girlfriend Action? Ain't she a little young for ya'?" The one called A-rab chuckled.

"She ain't my girlfriend you idiot," Roger glared at A-rab, "she's my sister!" He then turned back to Rosie, "Go home Rose!" He spoke sternly, "you shouldn't be here… You don't belong." The moment those words left Rogers lips he regretted them. He could see tears brimming in his little sisters blue eyes.

"If I don't belong here…" Rosie's voice became shaky, "then where the hell do I belong?" She yelled. She turned on her heel and ran back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Rosie watched Roger leave once again, it had been over a week since she had decided to follow him and she was still sore about what he had told her. Once Roger left it left just Rosie and her mother in the apartment, June put down her copy of Look magazine, "Rose what's with you and Roger?"

Rosie just looked out the window as usual watching her brother go off with his friends, "nothing'" She replied coldly folding her arms across her chest. Her mother laid down her magazine, "this isn't nothing Sugar… You haven't spoken a kind word to him in days." She sat down beside her little girl.

"We had a fight that's all…" Rosie couldn't bear to look at her mother. June shook her head, something had torn her children apart, she only wish that she knew what it was.

Rosie found herself listening from anything like the Lux Radio Theater, Burns and Allen, and the Jack Benny Program. She had decided to wait for Roger to come home, it didn't matter to her how late it would be. Near eleven o'clock she saw her brother and two others approaching, she ran down the stairs and waited in the doorway arms crossed. When they got to the door and saw her standing there they stopped talking and laughing. Roger approached her, "you're still up?" He frowned.

"Well I hate to break it to ya' Rog I ain't a kid anymore," she answered bitterly. "Where do you go every night? Why do I never see you anymore? Why do I…" Roger covered her mouth with his hand, "go inside… We'll talk later…"

Rosie huffed, she glared at all the boys that just stood there, angry that they had stolen her brother away from her. He wasn't the same Roger she used to know, he was gone now… She no longer knew who it was who stood before her. "Fine," she replied bitterly. She went inside but didn't go upstairs, instead she let the door close and she listened to them continue to talk.

"Geez, what's with that kid? She's all up in anybody's business!" She could hear one of the boys complain.

"Don't you mean everybody's?" One of the other boys corrected the other.

"A-rab she's my sister… I think I can see why she's worried… I suppose I'd do the same for her…" She could her Roger, maybe she really hadn't lost him after all.

"Yeah but she even followed ya! How do you explain that buddy boy?" A-rab retorted, "now Action I know…"

"You don' know nothin'!" Roger snapped.

"Easy Action… Take it easy…" The other boy replied.

"How can I take it easy when you pick on my sister? She may be a pain but I love her!" Roger spoke strongly. At that point Rosie had heard enough, silently she walked up stairs back to her family's apartment and waited for Roger. When he finally got up stairs and saw her sitting there at the kitchen table he really didn't know where he should begin.

"Why don't I see you anymore?" Rosie started, Roger ran a hand through his short brown hair, "well?" she asked impatiently.

"Rosie… It's hard to explain…" He started.

"What's so hard to explain about a stupid game of basketball?" Rosie frowned.

Roger took a breath, "It's more than a stupid game of basketball." He had almost forgotten that she had followed him and watched them.

"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow, "then what is it?" She now eyed the orange band that was around his head. "What's that?" she pointed.

Roger ran his hand around his forehead, "Wha'? Oh shit!" He yanked the band off, it was the mark of being a Jet.

Rosie narrowed her eyes, "so that's it…" She knew about the gangs of the West Side, how they all had different ways of marking their members. "The Jets are a gang?"

Roger was speechless, his sister had never been so cold to him even during their worst fights. "Rose… I needed somewhere to belong and the Jets… They are my family…"

"What about mom and me? Or do we not matter anymore?" Rosie almost couldn't bear to look at Roger any more she was so angry with him.

"Rose you have to understand," Roger knew that his explanation would sound terrible to his little sister but he couldn't lie to her, he had done enough of that already.

"I need somewhere to belong, I know you know how important that is…" When he said that he could see his sister begin to cry.

"I don't know what it's like to belong!" Rosie snapped, "I never have!"

"Rosie…"

"Just stop," with that Rosie went to her room and slammed the door.

A few minutes later he stood outside the door, he was about to knock on her door but he hear her sobbing inside. He had hurt her too much, how could he do something like that? He looked around the apartment and noticed one small picture frame, it contained a picture of him and Rosie when he was nine and she was barely seven years old, it had been taken at their grandmother's house in Buffalo. Taking the back off the frame he took the picture out and slid it into his pocket


	3. Chapter 3

Rosie decided that instead of going home after school she went back to the same black top where she had first watched Roger play ball with the Jets, when she got there it was completely empty.

"Well if it ain't Little Miss Anybodys,"

Rosie looked around for the source of the voice, "up here kid!" She turned to face the fire escape and saw A-rab descending smoothly. He casually walked towards her, "why you hangin' round us all a sudden? Can't you leave your brother alone?" He asked.

"I… I…" Rosie stammered as she looked at A-rab.

"Listen Anybodys ain't you got friends?" He asked.

"No…" Rosie felt embarrassed, she also didn't understand why he called her such a funny name, "why do you call me that any way?"  
"Call you what? Anybodys?" A-rab smiled a cheeky smile.

"Yeah…" Rosie just watched him, there was something effortless about him and she couldn't place what it was.

"Little Miss Anybodys, always gotta' be in anybody's business can never just mind her own!" A-rab recited in a sing-song tone.

"Could I ever join the Jets?" Rosie didn't even know where the question came from, it just so happened that she asked it. Perhaps the tempting thought of having a family, a group of people who cared for her besides her mother and Roger was what made it occur.

A-rab just stared at her for a moment before beginning to laugh loudly, Rosie's face reddened. "I girl in the Jets?" He laughed, "Unthinkable! Riff or Tony would never allow it!"

"Why not?" she asked sternly.

"I'd love to see a girl fight but it is a policy of mine to never hit women," A-rab said with a smile.

It was as if something inside Rosie snapped, she flung herself at A-rab and started pounding at his chest, but in reality she was doing barely any damage to the older boy. Someone grabbed her by her waist from behind and pulled her away from A-rab. When she was set back on the ground she found herself face to face with Roger.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? Get outta' here!" Roger snapped, Rosie huffed and walked off towards home.

"See ya' Anybodys!" A-rab called as she walked away.

Roger glared at A-rab and hit him on the back of the head, "'Ey what didja do that for?"

"Leave my sister alone, alright?" Roger frowned.

"If all it takes to be a Jet is to be a boy then fine," Rosie grumbled as she went into the apartment, she went into Rogers room and started rummaging through his dresser for clothes she had rarely seen him wear. Once she put that in her own room she sat down on the couch where she saw on an old end table sat her mother's sowing scissors. She picked them up and looked at the blade, at that moment deciding that she was no longer Rosie, she would simply be Anybodys. All she wanted was friends, if it meant pretending to be a boy and cutting off her hair she would do it.

She waited until Roger came home and her mother was asleep before she got up and started hacking at her hair which pooled at the floor. When she was done she knew it wasn't a very good job, it was uneven and choppy its longest points just barely going past her chin.

When Action was getting dressed that morning he started rummaging through his dresser unable to find the shirt he was looking for. He was about to see someone, a boy? Come from Rosie's room wearing his tee-shirt. "Who the hell are you?" He asked, he didn't take him long to realize that it was Rosie.

"Rosie? What have you done?" He felt the uneven ends of her hair and looked at her in shock.

"I wanna be one of you!" She explained, "I wanna be a Jet!"

"What did she say?" Riff gave a confused look to Action.

"Wants to be one of us…" Action grumbled, "A Jet…"

A-rab started laughing, "Shut it A-rab this ain't funny!" Action snapped at the younger gang member.

"Action, slow down buddy boy," Tony commented, "look I know it's your sister but I think you get heated up to quickly." He put his arm on Action's shoulder.

"But she wants to be one of us!" Action repeated, "I can't let her!"

"Listen Action," Tony looked him straight in the eye, "Riff and I will take care of this alright?"

Action took a deep breath, "fine."


End file.
